Brownies are a classic. Simple, unadorned, yet divinely rich and delicious. Dense and fudgy, typically on the sweet side, these are well balanced by the sourness of the cherries that add a burst of fresh flavour when you bite into them. Serve them in small slices, with milk, and even a drizzle of chocolate sauce or ice cream.
Ingredients:
150 grams butter
30 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
100 grams sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
60 grams plain flour
100 grams cherries
Preparation:
Dice the butter and place it in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Put it over medium heat and when it starts melting, sift in the cocoa powder (scant 1/3 cup) and whisk until melted and well blended. Remove it from the heat and add the sugar. Mix for a few seconds until the sugar starts to dissolve, then add the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each. When you add the second egg and whisk it in, the batter will become smooth and glossy and thick.
Finally, add the flour and the cherries (frozen or fresh) and fold it through the batter until only combined. Do not overmix the batter at this point. Grease (or line) a small baking pan (18x18 cm; 7x7-inch), pour in the batter and bake in a preheated oven, at 170˚C (340˚F), for about 15 minutes. Check it with a toothpick around 12 minutes or so, just to make sure the brownies do not overbake, because if they do, they will be dry and crumbly. Let them cool and serve. Yields 9 small servings.
